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Four of Sudbury’s designated scenic roads could see noteworthy tree and brush removal under a new proposal by Eversource.
The Sudbury Planning Board, in conjunction with the Town Tree Warden, has scheduled a virtual public hearing for Wednesday, July 15 to discuss an application filed for Eversource.
The utility provider is seeking permission to clear brush and remove trees ranging from four inches to 36 inches in diameter. Because the affected trees are located within the Town’s Right of Way on designated Scenic Roads, the project triggers review under Massachusetts General Laws as well as Sudbury General Bylaw Chapter 232.
The proposed tree removal and brush clearing would impact sections of the following iconic Sudbury roadways:
- Plympton Road
- Water Row Road
- Concord Road
- Candy Hill Road
According to the Town notice, all trees slated for removal will bear a physical notice of the public hearing ahead of the July 15 meeting, allowing residents to identify which trees are marked for cutting. The full notice of hearing is embedded below.
UPDATE:
Sudbury Weekly acquired a copy of the application through the Sudbury Planning Department. According to the application details, the proposed work is part of the utility’s “342-H7 Storm Resiliency” project, which is designed to mitigate power line failures during major weather events. The company states that minimizing tree failures helps maintain reliable electrical service and keeps roadways clear for emergency response vehicles.
The application requests the removal of 37 specific trees across the four designated scenic roads. Below is the tree size breakdown provided in the application:
The application (below) also includes pictures and addresses for the trees in question.
The listed species primarily include red oak, pignut hickory, sugar maple, red maple, black oak, elm, and ash. The arborist’s assessment notes that multiple trees targeted for removal exhibit existing health or structural defects. For instance, several ash trees are impacted by the emerald ash borer (EAB), and specified elms are noted as showing dieback indicative of Dutch elm disease. Other entries in the arborist log detail localized structural concerns, such as hollow bases, severe leans over the wires, trunk cracks, and decaying canopies.
The project overview explains the specifications for the resiliency project: “this involves pruning to a clearance of 15x15x25ft around the primary wires, removal of trees where pruning to that standard would be taking too much canopy for the tree to likely survive long-term, and flatcutting the undergrowth of incompatible species.. Trees are designated for removal if pruning them to meet this clearance standard would remove too much canopy for the tree to likely survive over the long term.”
Regarding environmental mitigation, Eversource indicated a willingness to implement a replanting plan. However, the application states that the current public road layouts are physically unsuitable for traditional nursery trees. To move forward with a replanting initiative, the Town of Sudbury would need to identify alternative locations and commit to watering the new trees during their initial establishment period.